New wheels for my Cutie Car!

[Fuzpile]

Rx. Yes again.. Okay I'm a little difficult to follow sometimes but I was Speaking to Her basically. It was something she could understand and would float right across your head. You can't have a concept of what I can do unless I give you clues.

It is more important now that my betrothed young Bride leave everything and we embark on a fine journey of Love, rebuilding and knowledge.

Knowledges of how to tweak you.

[Fuzpile]

Let me put it another way RxL. I'm becoming old fart status. I would not attempt to remove her from the gene pool or leave her alone.

I was kidding with you. I just think she's a great young woman. She is more into this joke than we can be. In defference to the atmosphere surrounding the presentation of four struts in an iron pot- as a bouquet of flowers;

Would not that be laced with Roses?

[98ImprezaWA]

Umm... this got interesting?

[Fuzpile]

Like more interesting than sanding those wheels? Well it's all good. Those new ones are striking and we would enjoy an update about how they performed. I'm not leaving you hanging there with the last post.

[edrach]

Really?! That gap in the wheel well doesn't bother you!? Ahh, maybe I just need to get used to it. It just feels so tall to me now! But she is cute, isn't she?! Now I just need to wash her. Its SO hard to keep a black car clean!

 

So, yes, rear sway bar 1st. Definitely. Whiteline? Other recommendations? Do new endlinks generally come with a new sway bar? Or do I need to buy those separately? When I had the wheels off I noticed they were starting to look a bit like they've been on there since 1998... and lived their 1st 10 years in Maine. :-\

 

Wow, six pages and you still haven't gotten a suggestion on the rear swaybar! Funny how a cute pic can distract the youngsters.

 

Anyway, if money is an object check craigslist or nasioc for an early WRX swaybar for the rear. I put one on my '97 Impreza and it works just fine. I think it's a 19mm but I can measure it to be sure. Whiteline is great and so is Rallitek, but a used WRX 'bar will work just fine until you find what you want. Endlinks can be had from the same source for cheap. Funny how the kids upgrade their WRXs and then practically give away the old pieces.

 

As to stiffening up the ride, KYB shocks for sure. The GR2's are just fine for street use. I found a new set of AGX adjustable shocks here on the USMB for $250 a few years ago and found that I like them with the full soft setting for street and rallycross use. Also Polypropelyne bushings to replace the rubber ones will work fine (check with Sean at Rallitek for those) to reduce the roll a bit more.

 

As for the tire gap on the wheel well. You get used to it. Here's how 14" tires look on my Impreza. I put the 15s back for street use and I'm going to go with 16s next year just to save a bit of gas.

 

Edited September 6, 2010 by edrach

[Fairtax4me]

Wow, six pages and you still haven't gotten a suggestion on the rear swaybar

You didn't read well enough.

 

Rallitek and Whiteline are probably the best for Subaru specific bars.

[edrach]

You didn't read well enough.

I read well enough; it just didn't sink in. As it was, I think yours was the only suggestion.

[Fuzpile]

Well I thought the upgrade of tires and struts was enough until a person gets used to them. I'm no dirt track racer but I tried out my stuff on paved roads in the middle of the night- and was a complete Idiot! That new rear sway bar can turn understeer to oversteer in a second with new wheels and shocks. I say take it slow.

[Fuzpile]

The other thing is she mentioned stuff was crusty which means rusty. Somebody going to magically know a bolt was broken off ? And what she's going to do about it? No doubt capable yet unnecessary to have her hair full of rust and sweat wondering why the hell someone lead her into this.

Oh yeh, it's so easy, you just lie here and drill it out this way see, crap falling in your face.

Hey no problem. Right.

[edrach]

23mm sounds a bit too big for me, but you can't beat the price. Also, you need to check which year WRX since only the early years will fit your car.

 

Also, front swaybar won't help the understeer much; might even make it worse. Getting rid of that 12mm rear bar will help your car a lot.

 

I've got to clarify the last sentence. I should have said replaceing the 12mm rear bar with something stronger (18 or 19mm) will reduce the understeer significantly. Just getting rid of it will make the handling worse.

 

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2044922

Edited September 9, 2010 by edrach

[Fairtax4me]

A 23mm bar without any rear upgrade is gonna kill whatever over-steer tendency the car might have now. Of course I'm the type that thinks under-steer is the worst condition you can possibly have.

[98ImprezaWA]

Oooookay, you have now successfully confused the crap out of me! :-\

 

I'm not planning on doing anything to the front. Just upgrading the rear sway bar. And endlinks.

 

It will probably take some drilling. The car DID live its 1st 10 years in Maine. But luckily for me, this crazy stuff called shampoo exists, so sweat and rust in the hair isn't too much of an issue!

[edrach]

A 23mm bar without any rear upgrade is gonna kill whatever over-steer tendency the car might have now. Of course I'm the type that thinks under-steer is the worst condition you can possibly have.

I tried to clarify my earlier post on that. I agree with you about understeer and that's the first thing I tried to correct with my '97 Impreza wagon. Rallycross is my thing and understeer just frustrates me.

 

If it will help the OP, I'd be glad to measure my front and rear swaybars since I've got a suspension that rotates when I want it to, and is fairly neutral when I don't. It's also delightful to drive on pavement with no ugly surprises.

 

As I mentioned earlier, I didn't spend big bucks for the two bars, but bought (for cheap or free) castoffs from others who did spend the big bucks.

[98ImprezaWA]

If it will help the OP, I'd be glad to measure my front and rear swaybars since I've got a suspension that rotates when I want it to, and is fairly neutral when I don't. It's also delightful to drive on pavement with no ugly surprises.

 

That would be great! Thank you!!!

 

 

As I mentioned earlier, I didn't spend big bucks for the two bars, but bought (for cheap or free) castoffs from others who did spend the big bucks.

 

I like your style!

 

 

I know you said make sure they're from an early WRX, so '03 and earlier? Is that a correct assumption?

[edrach]

Honestly, I can't be sure what they came off of anymore. Free or cheap doesn't leave much room for argument. I think one came off an RS and the other a WRX. Anyway, the front bar is 19mm and the rear is 20mm. Not quite as beefy as the 23mm bar on the link I sent you. But the really important thing is to get the rear bar replaced. That will help a lot to stiffen it up without getting too "lively" going around corners.

 

My entire purpose was to get it to sit flat in the corners. For rallycross I don't want it too stiff since I want to allow the suspension to work and keep the wheels on the ground and not bounce around a lot.

[Fairtax4me]

Oooookay, you have now successfully confused the crap out of me!

Oversteer vs understeer:

 

http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/sway3.htm

 

If you were to go with the a 23mm front bar, go track down at least a 20 mm rear bar to help balance it out. Adjustable bars are nice because you can change how "stiff" the bar is by changing which hole you mount the end link to. It just changes the leverage point on the bar. This gives you the ability to "tune" the feel of the car without having to buy multiple bars and change them when you want the car to handle a bit differently.

[1-3-2-4]

I was and still thinking about getting a adjustable sway bar when I buy my endlink upgrades.

[edrach]

I was and still thinking about getting a adjustable sway bar when I buy my endlink upgrades.

Nothing wrong with an adjustable bar if you can afford the price. Whiteline makes an excellent one.

[1-3-2-4]

yeah I was looking at that question I'm not totally sure what my car runs stock (95 Legacy L wagon) you get a handful of understeer in the wet and giving it a little gas gets you nowhere.

[98ImprezaWA]

So the general consensus is... upgrade the REAR sway bar to one from an early (pre '03? correct?) WRX. Leaving the front alone.

 

Unless my confusion has got the better of me, I think that's what I'm gonna do! ...at least for now!

 

I don't think an adjustable bar will be necessary for me. I want to get used to one feel for the car, so once I get that done, I don't think I'll be adjusting much! I'm finally getting used to feeling taller on the 16" wheels! ...and the wheel gap is starting to grow on me.

 

I gave her a quick wash the other day. Those wheels sparkle nicely!

[subaru360]

If you are looking for the 20mm rear bar it came stock on the 02 WRX. 03+ they went to a smaller rear bar.

[GirlWithALegacy]

A million years later... I know. I'm unfashionably late as usual... how's this whole thing coming? Did you get the sway bar switched out etc? Or is there another thread out there I'm totally missing?

 

Btw - I found this whole line of posts to be EXTREMELY entertaining... I sure wish someone would show up at MY door with a ring and the keys to a BRAT! I'd be perfectly fine with a rose or two as well...

[98ImprezaWA]

Wow, you brought it back from the dead! SO much fun to read through again! I had forgotten how silly this thread was!

 

I hate to disappoint, but I never followed through with the sway bar. I still have every intention to, but money and time got really scarce (started grad school last fall), and it still hasn't happened.

 

I'm still totally in love with the wheels though! In fact, the other night I actually had a dream that someone had broken into my car and managed to take everything out of the engine bay (which somehow looked like the bed of a BRAT...??) but they didn't steal my wheels!!!

 

And I'm still waiting for the ring, the struts, and the keys to a BRAT to show up at my doorstep! Roses... meh. Not important!

[johnceggleston]

And I'm still waiting for the ring, the struts, and the keys to a BRAT to show up at my doorstep! Roses... meh. Not important!

 

 

and i'm still waiting for my fairy-god-mother to make richer, more famous and better looking than george clooney. my guess is that you will get your wish before i get mine.

 

but a subie owner can still dream.!!!!!!

[Fuzpile]

psssst. Hey John.. we just got roses for Easter because she rang back:)